Generating a set of linked rotational views of model objects

• US 9,152,435 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Williamson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kells, Asher
• Application Number:
  US12/551,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,227 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a set of linked rotational views of a model object. A modeling client can host modeling logic and an application programming interface (API) to create, access, manipulate, and import/export modeling objects used in modeling applications, such as engineering, medical, financial, and other modeling platforms. The source data accepted into the modeling client can include consumer or business-level applications, whose spreadsheet, database or other content can be extracted and encapsulated in object-oriented format, such as extensible markup language (XML) format. A set of layers of the model objects can be associated via a set of linkages. A rotator widget or other interface object can be presented to allow a user to traverse the linkages and rapidly rotate through layers in a view, without having to switch tabs, planes, database dimensions, or manually operate other dimensional control, enhancing viewing efficiency of large layers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

encapsulating a first set of source data in a first predictive model object, wherein a modeling application performs an operation on the first predictive model object to predict an output, and the first predictive model object comprises a first set of layers;

encapsulating a second set of source data in a second predictive model object, wherein the modeling application performs an operation on the second predictive model object to predict another output, and the second predictive model object comprises a second set of layers;

generating at least one link between one or more layers in the first predictive model object with one or more layers in the second predictive model object, wherein the at least one link specifies a plurality of successive layers linked between the first predictive model object and the second predictive model object;

generating, by a processor, a user interface comprising a graphical presentation of the one or more layers in the first predictive model object linked to the one or more layers in the second predictive model object and a graphical interface object to control the graphical presentation;

receiving, by the processor, user input rotating the graphical interface object in the user interface; and

changing, by the processor, the graphical presentation in the user interface to present a plurality of next layers as specified in the plurality of successive layers in response to receiving the user input via the graphical interface object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more layers in the first predictive model object and the one or more layers in the second predictive model object comprise at least one of one or more sheets in a spreadsheet, one or more planes in a database, one or more levels in a database, one or more slides in a slide deck application, or one or more pages in a word processing application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one link comprises at least one of one or more pointers or one or more inter-process communication links.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the graphical presentation in the user interface to present the plurality of next layers comprises:

determining a direction of the rotating of the graphical interface object; and

selecting the plurality of next layers in view of the direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the graphical presentation in the user interface comprises:

determining a rate of the rotating of the graphical interface object; and

changing the graphical presentation in the user interface using a speed in view of the rate of the rotating.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the user interface to comprise a graphical presentation of a last layer in the plurality of successive layers;

receiving user input via the graphical interface object to present a next layer in the plurality of successive layers; and

changing the user interface to comprise a graphical presentation of a first layer in the plurality of successive layers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a plurality of quadrants to the graphical interface object;

receiving user input via the graphical interface object selecting one of the plurality of quadrants; and

selecting, by the processor, a layer of the plurality of successive layers linked between the first predictive model object and the second predictive model object in view of the selected one of the plurality of quadrants.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input changing an order of at least one of the one or more layers in the first predictive model object or the one or more layers in the second predictive model object; and

changing the graphical presentation in the user interface in view of the user input changing the order.

9. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, the processor to;

encapsulate a first set of source data in a first predictive model object, wherein a modeling application performs an operation on the first predictive model object to predict an output, and the first predictive model object comprises a first set of layers;

encapsulate a second set of source data in a second predictive model object, wherein the modeling application performs an operation on the second predictive model object to predict another output, and the second predictive model object comprises a second set of layers;

generate at least one link between one or more layers in the first predictive model object with one or more layers in the second predictive model object, wherein the at least one link specifies a plurality of successive layers linked between the first predictive model object and the second predictive model object,

generate a user interface comprising a graphical presentation of the one or more layers in the first predictive model object linked to the one or more layers in the second predictive model object and a graphical interface object to control the graphical presentation,

receive user input rotating the graphical interface object in the user interface, and

change the graphical presentation in the user interface to present a plurality of next layers as specified in the plurality of successive layers in response to the user input received via the graphical interface object.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more layers in the first predictive model object and the one or more layers in the second predictive model object comprise at least one of one or more sheets in a spreadsheet, one or more planes in a database, one or more levels in a database, one or more slides in a slide deck application, or one or more pages in a word processing application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one link comprises at least one of one or more pointers or one or more inter-process communication links.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein to change the graphical presentation in the user interface to present the plurality of next layers comprises the processor to:

determine a direction of the rotating of the graphical interface object; and

select the plurality of next layers in view of the direction.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein to change the graphical presentation in the user interface comprises the processor to:

determine a rate of the rotating of the graphical interface object; and

change the graphical presentation in the user interface using a speed in view of the rate of the rotating.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to:

change the user interface to comprise a graphical presentation of a last layer in the plurality of successive layers;

receive user input via the graphical interface object to present a next layer in the plurality of successive layers; and

change the user interface to comprise a graphical presentation of a first layer in the plurality of successive layers.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to:

assign a plurality of quadrants to the graphical interface object;

receive user input via the graphical interface object selecting one of the plurality of quadrants; and

select a layer of the plurality of successive layers linked between the first predictive model object and the second predictive model object in view of the selected one of the plurality of quadrants.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to:

receive user input changing an order of at least one of the one or more layers in the first predictive model object or the one or more layers in the second predictive model object; and

change the graphical presentation in the user interface in view of the user input changing the order.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to:

encapsulate a first set of source data in a first predictive model object, wherein a modeling application performs an operation on the first predictive model object to predict an output, and the first predictive model object comprises a first set of layers;

encapsulate a second set of source data in a second predictive model object, wherein the modeling application performs an operation on the second predictive model object to predict another output, and the second predictive model object comprises a second set of layers;

generate at least one link between one or more layers first predictive model object with one or more layers in the second predictive model object, wherein the at least one link specifies a plurality of successive layers linked between the first predictive model object and the second predictive model object;

generating, by the processor, a user interface comprising a graphical presentation of the one or more layers in the first predictive model object linked to the one or more layers in the second predictive model object and a graphical interface object to control the graphical presentation;

receiving, by the processor, user input rotating the graphical interface object in the user interface; and

changing, by the processor, the graphical presentation in the user interface to present a plurality of next layers as specified in the plurality of successive layers in response to receiving the user input via the graphical interface object.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium claim 17, wherein the one or more layers in the first predictive model object and the one or more layers in the second predictive model object comprise at least one of one or more sheets in a spreadsheet, one or more planes in a database, levels in a database, one or more slides in a slide deck application, or one or more pages in a word processing application.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one link comprises at least one of one or more pointers or one or more inter-process communication links.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein changing the graphical presentation in the user interface comprises:

determining a rate of the rotating of the graphical interface object; and

changing the graphical presentation in the user interface using a speed in view of the rate of the rotating.